Another Heart Calls
by IsisIzabel
Summary: *JoMax Fic* Johnny and Maxie are kidnapped and forced to confront their mutual feelings when they're locked in a room together. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"_Let me out, let me out_

_Wake up in a wasteland_…

_Time's wasting_

_How much longer_

_Till I get myself free_

_Of these hurricane streets?"_

~ "Hurricane Streets" by Hey Monday

The first thing she became aware of was the dry, thickness that coated her mouth. Like cotton had been shoved into ever crevasse and left to disintegrate over time. Her tongue was swollen, touching every tooth, and feeling the layer of grime that coated them.

Swallowing roughly, Maxie opened her eyes slowly. She winced against the harsh fluorescence of the lights above. Thousands of tiny pinpricks stabbed at her eyes and she rolled to her side to block the light. Sucking in a hard breath, she forced her eyes open again and looked around.

She was on a bed, more specifically a mattress, that had been shoved into one corner of the small room. There were no sheets on it, just the mattress on a cement floor. The walls looked to be made of cinderblocks that had been painted to an offensive, pale green color. Her nose wrinkled with distaste.

She shivered. The air was still cool for late April, and she was regretting the thin tailored pants and matching sleeveless shirt she had worn earlier that day. The white shirt was too dirty for even industrial strength bleach to clean it now.

Grimacing, she pushed herself up on one elbow and she thought back, trying to remember how she came to be here. Had she been drinking last night? She frowned, thinking, but unable to come up with a viable excuse.

She had been on the docks with Johnny, telling him _again_ to reconsider being with Lulu. The last few months had forged an unlikely friendship between the two girls, filling a small section of the void Georgie had left behind when she was murdered. Not nearly the same as having her little sister around, but Lulu had proven to be a fairly decent friend.

Until Johnny admitted to liking Maxie during his break up speech to Lulu. And then the truth about their kisses had come to light. Maxie still flinched when she thought of the betrayal in Lulu's eyes. The two girls hadn't spoken in the last three weeks, and Kate was threatening to fire one of them if they didn't get it together.

Maxie sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress and scooping her feet under her body so she could stand. She didn't make it far before she was jerked back down, unable to stand fully erect.

Dumbfounded, she looked down at her wrist and saw the handcuff. She was shackled to a ring that had been drilled into the wall. Amazed, and growing more worried by the moment, she looked back down at the bed and felt her legs buckle.

She touched his back hesitantly, seeing the crimson smear on the back of his neck, staining his gray t-shirt. "Johnny?" she shook his shoulder gently. "_Johnny_, wake up!"

She held her breath, contemplating checking for a pulse when she heard him moan, the sound muffled by the mattress he was face down on.

"Thank God," she muttered, her hand still on his shoulder. "Are you OK?"

He turned his face to see her, his expression puzzled. "Maxie? What the hell—" He started to sit up and realized her, too, was handcuffed. He gave the restraint a sharp tug, wincing as the metal cut into his wrist. He wrapped his hand around the chain and pulled harder, the muscles in his forearm cording with effort.

"It won't budge," Maxie said softly, trying to keep the edge of panic from her voice. She bit her lower lip, fighting the instinct to burst into tears. Crying would solve nothing at this point.

Johnny looked up at her, his expression grim. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered quickly. "What about you? Your head …"

Johnny reached behind his head with his free hand, his expression twisting with pain when he touched the sensitive area. When he pulled his hand away there were only a few spots of blood. The cut was healing.

"Where are we?" he demanded, his eyes flashing murderously as he looked around the small room before landing on her.

"I don't know," she replied, eyes wide. "I woke up a minute ago …" Her breath left her in a rush and her eyes drifted shut. "I saw the blood, and I thought you were …" She couldn't finish.

Johnny sighed quietly and reached for her hand, holding it tight. "I'm fine."

Maxie opened her eyes and blinked slowly. She licked her lips nervously. "So, where are we?"

Johnny twisted, letting her hand go. There was a window in the adjacent corner, but all he could see was sky. There were two doors, but both were closed and one had several deadbolts on it.

"I don't know," he finally admitted.

"Is this … is this some sort of _mob _thing?" she stage whispered to him, her eyes slanting to the door. She looked back at him, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

He could have laughed had the situation not be dire. "I really don't know."

She pressed her lips into a thin line, her expression screwing up with concentration. "I think it is. Why would someone want to kidnap me? It has to be because I was with you."

He couldn't stop the smirk that spread across his face. "It couldn't have anything to do with the fact you're the Commissioner's daughter?"

Her expression dulled. "Oh, yeah." She drew in a long breath and leaned back against the wall, stretching her legs out in front of her.

Johnny started to settle in beside her, his arm twisted at an odd angle because of the cuffs. He closed his eyes, trying to think.

"Oh, no!" Maxie wailed suddenly, doubling over as she grabbed her ankle.

His eyes snapped open, his free hand going to her back. "What? Are you hurt?"

She lifted horror-filled eyes to his. "They're _ruined_!"

He blinked, not getting it. He followed her line of vision and looked at her feet. He watched as she twisted her legs around to show him the inch long scuff on her left shoe.

He clamped down the impulse to yell at her. Instead, he took a deep breath and ground out, "You're upset about a _shoe_?"

She glared at him, instantly defensive. "These are Jimmy Choos, buddy. They cost over five hundred dollars and now they're completely ruined!"

Johnny sighed loudly. He had long since stopped trying to guess why women spent so much money on footwear that brought nothing but pain and bitching. Years of being dragged on shopping excursions with Claudia had taught him not to question cost when it came to fashion.

"Dammit!" Maxie muttered harshly, rubbing at the spot with her thumb. After a moment, she threw her hand up in the air, giving up. "Perfect."

He snorted, trying not to outright laugh at her.

Maxie turned on him, her look glacial. "If my _only_ pair of Jimmy Choos got ruined because I got caught up in some dumb mob thing—"

"I'll buy you ten new pairs, your choice," he interrupted, his tone flat. He snuck a look at her, amused that she seemed placated by his offer.

Maxie studied him and nodded finally. "OK. Deal."

Now he laughed. "But what if _I_ got kidnapped because you're Mac Scorpio's daughter? What do I get?"

She frowned, thinking. "The pleasure of my company?"

"Ha, ha," he deadpanned. He leaned forward, his dark eyes glittering. "Ten kisses."

Maxie's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide.

He grinned, completely shameless. "It's win-win for you."

"Deal," Maxie agreed slowly, biting her lower lip to stop the grin that threatened to split her face.

The word was no sooner out of her mouth than they heard a key being slipped into one of the deadbolts. She swallowed hard, looking nervously at Johnny. His shrugged in response, his jaw locking as the door opened slowly.

The first man who came in was slightly overweight, old enough to be her father, and had small gray eyes that seemed to be in a perpetual state of squinting. He carried a large, brown paper bag in one hand. The second man was younger, maybe a few years older than Johnny, with short blond hair and dark eyes that made her shiver. Both had guns holstered at their hips.

"Who the hell are you?" Johnny found his voice first, his tone surprisingly level and just as lethal.

The younger man rolled his eyes and rocked back on his heels, clicking his tongue against his teeth.

The older man tossed the bag at the base of the mattress. "Food. Clothes. Blanket." The answers were short and succinct, not giving anything away. He hooked a thumb at the opposite door. "Bathroom."

Johnny's eyes narrowed. "Who—"

"Don't try anything stupid," he went on. He stabbed a finger towards the corner where a security camera had been mounted into the wall, covered with a glass shield that would keep them from disabling it. "We'll be watching."

The younger man smirked and started backing towards the door with his partner. "_Signor_ Calitri sends his regards."

The older man flicked something at them that landed by Maxie's foot. He turned and walked away, following the younger man. The door slammed shut and they heard the locks sliding back into place.

Maxie reached down slowly, picking up the key to the handcuffs that had been tossed to them. She handed to Johnny, her hand shaking.

He took it from her, undoing her restraints and then his own. He rubbed his wrist where the metal had dug in and got to his feet.

She cleared her throat and tossed her hair back, sucking in a sharp breath. She glanced up at him, offering a weak smile. "Does this mean I get my shoes?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_And now I'm lookin' for the reasons why I'm alive_

_And now I've finally come to realize_

_I can't erase this feeling_

_I can't escape"_

~ "I'm Breathing" by Jet Black Stare

The second door opened to the bathroom. Maxie immediately, instinctively, took a step back, her mouth gaping with horror. The wallpaper was old, easily dating back to the seventies. It was cracked and yellowed, peeling around the corners. There was a single sink with rust ringed around the drain, a toilet with a cracked lid, and the bathtub. The tiles on the floor were chipped and gone in places. The grout work was moldy in places and missing in others.

"I think I could get hepatitis C just by _looking_ at this room," she muttered darkly.

Johnny snorted once, but didn't disagree as he ventured further into the room. He pulled on the mirror over the sink, revealing the medicine cabinet behind it. There were two toothbrushes inside, both thankfully still in their original packaging, and a tube of toothpaste. There was also a spare roll of toilet paper and a still wrapped bar of soap.

Maxie fisted her hand in Johnny's shirt, anchoring herself to him as she followed him in. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she lifted the single bottle of shampoo from the edge of the sink.

"Generic shampoo?" She cringed inwardly.

Johnny glanced back at her, his face twisted into a smirk. "The accommodations not to your liking, Princess?"

She set the bottle down quickly and looked up at him, her expression grim. "They couldn't even spring for a bottle of generic conditioner to go with it?"

Johnny chuckled softly, closing the medicine cabinet. He tested the faucet, seeming pleased when the water came out clear and clean.

Maxie huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "Marcus is going to be so pissed."

Johnny turned then, arching an eyebrow at her. "Who's Marcus?"

Maxie barely blinked. "My hairdresser. If I don't deep condition at least once a week—"

"We've been kidnapped and you're worried about your hair?" he asked, incredulous. He snorted and looked away, shaking his head.

She looked down, sighing. "Look, I'm doing the best I can not to just completely _freak_ out right now, and if worrying about my _hair_ instead of the guys with the big _guns_ helps me—"

"OK, OK," he cut in, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I get it. I'm sorry."

She shifted. "No, I'm sorry. Guess I'm not your first choice for a kidnapping buddy, huh?"

His lips curved back into that same self-assured smirk he wore with confidence. "You're not that bad."

"Still, I bet you'd rather be here with Lulu," Maxie said with a shrug.

His expression darkened and he dropped his hands suddenly. "Not really," he replied, his tone clipped. He turned on his heel and started out the bathroom.

She followed him out. "Well _I_ wish you were here with Lulu."

Johnny turned, his back rigid. He ground his teeth together.

Maxie shrugged and held up her hands, surrendering. "What? All I'm saying is it might force you two to work out your issues."

"Maybe we just shouldn't talk about Lulu," he suggested coolly.

"Fine by me," Maxie agreed easily. She walked over to the bag that had been tossed at them. She glanced up at Johnny. "Food." She sank to her knees and started pulling out the contents of the bag.

He settled down next to her, watching as she divvied up the food from the bag. Two deli sandwiches, two bags of chips, two bottles of water, two thin towels and a blanket at the very bottom. Maxie even tipped the bag upside down to prove there was nothing else inside.

Making a face, she tossed the bag away and set the blanket on the edge of the mattress. She unscrewed the cap to her water and downed half of it, grateful for the liquid as it slid down her parched throat.

"So, tell me the truth: How bad is this?" Maxie asked after she had opened her bag of chips and popped one in her mouth.

Johnny chewed the bite of sandwich slowly, swallowing before answering. "I don't know."

She lowered the chip she was about to eat. "But you know this Calitri guy, right?"

He shifted, his focus suddenly on the sandwich in his hand. "Sort of. I think I might have met him once a few years back when I was visiting Claudia in Rome, but I don't really _know_ him. I know _of_ him."

"Clearly he _knows_ of you, too," Maxie retorted. "So why are we sitting in a cramped little room being held against our will?"

"Not too sure," Johnny answered, intentionally vague. He finished the last of his sandwich.

"Is that mob speak for 'I'm not gonna tell you, so shut up, Maxie?' Because if it is…"

He cracked a slight smile. "It's not. I really don't get why Calitri would take me. Let alone you. Any business dealings we've had have been overseas, and he's never hinted at moving his enterprise to the States."

"Maybe Claudia did something?" Maxie suggested.

"Maybe," Johnny hedged. He snorted to himself; it would be very much like his sister to try something overseas where her new husband couldn't dominate or overrule her.

Sonny Corinthos was a local boy. Granted, he dabbled a bit in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, but he had no clue how to manipulate and maneuver through the European syndicates. He stayed closed to his home state of New York and rarely ventured outside his territory. He spent more time defending his empire than building upon it.

It would be a classic Claudia move to defy him by making a power play in another country to keep Sonny on his toes. To try something in the country she grew up. A country far removed from the reach of her husband. She never seemed to think that other people might pay for her mistakes, though.

People like himself and Maxie.

Maxie snapped her fingers in front of Johnny's eyes, getting his attention.

"What?"

She huffed and blinked slowly. "Where'd you go?"

"Nowhere," he answered automatically. "Just thinking."

Maxie shivered then, and glanced up at the darkening windows. "Sun's going down."

He glanced at his watch and sighed loudly. The face of it was smashed. It had probably happened when they were taken. "Probably close to seven-thirty," he estimated aloud.

She glanced around the room and stood up swiftly, moving for the bathroom where she flicked on the light. No one had thought to put a lamp in their room, and the bathroom light barely afforded them any additional light. When she turned back around, Johnny had collected all their trash it put it back in the bag. He balled it up and tossed it into a far corner.

Maxie leaned against one wall, suddenly exhausted and ready to sleep for a week.

"Tired?" He looked up at her from where he sat on the floor.

"I wonder if my dad even knows I'm missing yet," she murmured softly.

"I'm sure he does."

She shrugged. "Maybe. He's so busy lately…"

"Even if he didn't? I'm sure Spinelli noticed and he has your dad and half the Port Charles police department out scouring the streets for you," Johnny offered with a small smile.

Her lips quirked into a sad smile. "You think so?"

His expression softened slightly as he looked at her. "Maxie, Spinelli adores you. I'm sure he's noticed you're gone by now."

"Even if he hasn't," she said with a sigh, moving back towards him, "I'm sure Claudia noticed."

"Depends on the day," he allowed with a sardonic smile. "If Claudia needed me for something, then I'm sure she's noticed and mobilized all the people she can to find me. If she hasn't needed me…" He trailed off with a shrug.

She sat down beside him, studiously ignoring the way the shadows were creeping out of the corners, slowly swallowing the room. She shuddered again and glanced at the mattress. "One bed," she said quietly, calmly.

Johnny nodded, not meeting her gaze. "I noticed that."

She nudged him with her shoulder, waiting for him to look up at her before she grinned. "Guess you're finally gonna get me in bed, huh?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Another Heart Calls**

By: IsisIzabel

**Chapter 3**

"_You are my Manhattan from the sky_

_You look so neat and tidy when I'm way up high,_

_But I know your streets are lined with a fine mess inside_

_I want to come down and walk around your mind"_

~ "Manhattan from the Sky" by Kate Voegele

The next few days bled together. Without the benefit of a clock, the days slid effortless into the next. The only way they knew a day had passed was when the sun set, darkening their cramped room. Time was meaningless. The minutes of each hour seemed to drag, but they were both astonished every time the sun rose on another day of their captivity. The monotony was broken up by a few sporadic visits from their captors—or Heckle and Jeckle, as Maxie had taken to referring to them.

They brought food three times a day. On the third day, they were each blessed with a change of clothes. Granted, they were only light gray sweatpants and sweatshirts, but it was something. Maxie bitched for two hours about the itchy polyester blend, but it didn't stop her from cuddling into the clean fabric and inhaling the store-fresh smell.

On the fifth day, the older of the two tossed a plastic bag into the room along with their morning breakfast. Johnny opened the bag and pulled out several back issues of random magazines and a battered deck of cards that was missing the eight of spades. Maxie's grin had lit up like it was Christmas morning until the reality of what was happening set in.

"Guess this means we're not getting out anytime soon if they're giving us _entertainment_," Maxie said slowly, lifting up a June 2003 copy of _Good Housekeeping_.

Johnny tried to give her an encouraging smile, but it fell short. Instead he picked up a two year old copy of _Sport Fishing_ and started reading.

Most of the time was passed with talking. Maxie could say, with a significant amount of confidence, that Johnny Zacchara now knew her better than anyone else, and she was fairly certain he could say the same about her. She knew his favorite color was blue, he had been tossed out of no less than nine boarding schools in Europe during his childhood, and he was afraid of June beetles thanks in large part to Claudia.

Johnny had been seven and was caught spying on Claudia making out with the gardener's son in one of the rare times Anthony had allowed Claudia to visit them in the States. Claudia's retaliation had been coercing the gardener's son to gather up as many June beetles as he could collect which she then dumped into her little brother's bed that night. Anthony had sent Claudia back to Italy and bought Johnny a new bed, but not before making sure every last beetle made it to the incinerator.

God forbid those little bugs get to his roses.

After seven days of being alone together, they had yet to run out of topics. Hardly anything was taboo, save for the unmentioned topic of Lulu. They both gave that particular subject a wide berth.

Maxie sighed and set down the battered copy of _Ladies Home Journal_ she had just read cover to cover. Johnny was across the room, his back leaned against the wall opposite her. His eyes were closed and he was tapping out a rhythm with his fingertips on the floor.

"Want to play cards?" she offered, anxious to _do_ something.

His eyes opened slowly and he nodded, stretching his arms in front of him. "Sure. What game?"

"I picked last time," she reminded him.

He smirked, remembering. "Yeah. I forgot how much fun Go Fish can be."

"This from the guy who had us playing War for hours," she retorted good-naturedly. She tossed the magazine into the corner with the others they had read.

He snorted, shaking his head. "Poker?"

"Not much fun with two people," Maxie hedged.

His grin widened, knowing. "We could play _strip_ poker. Win-win."

Her gaze narrowed and she pointed a finger at the camera lens that always watched. "I'm not going to have Heckle and Jeckle getting off on me stripping."

A look darkened his face for a fraction of a second. Anger? Annoyance? It was hard to place, and gone as soon as it appeared.

"_Regular_ poker it is," she said with forced brightness, overcompensating for the moment. She wiped her palms on the front of her sweatpants and stood to pick up the deck of cards.

"You're bleeding."

He spoke so quietly she almost wasn't sure she heard him. Maxie turned, looking down at him. "What?"

Johnny cleared his throat, looking discreetly away. "You're bleeding, Maxie," he said gently.

She glanced down at herself and her heart plummeted as she saw the bloodstain on her pants. Great. Just freaking great. She had gotten her period, and in full view of Johnny.

To his credit, Johnny didn't seem phased in the least.

"Oh, _shit_," she muttered, horrified. She walked as fast as she could to the bathroom. Well, that explained why she had felt queasy earlier that morning. And here she thought it was the reheated breakfast burrito.

She shut the door and stripped off the pants, desperately wishing she had a clean pair of underwear. Instead she folded up several sheets of toilet paper and shoved them into her underwear. She washed her hands and stared at herself in the mirror.

Could this get any more embarrassing?

She turned sharply at a knock on the bathroom door.

"Here's your other pair of pants," Johnny called to her, his voice muffled.

She cracked the door open enough to grab the pants and slammed it just as quickly. She yanked them one, grimacing as she buttoned the tight pants. God, she needed Midol.

She contemplated staying in the bathroom the rest of the day, the idea of going back out to face Johnny was almost too mortifying to contemplate. In the end, she squared her shoulders and opened the door.

He was kneeling in front of the magazine stack, holding two different ones in his hands when she came out. He turned, his expression concerned.

"You OK?"

"You mean other than being totally embarrassed?" She walked to the mattress and sank down. "I'm fine."

He dropped both magazines and walked over to her, sitting down next to her, his knee bumping her leg. "Did I ever tell you about the first time I had sex?"

Startled, her mouth dropped open. "No…" She tucked a lock of hair behind one ear, turning her attention to him.

Johnny smiled wryly, rolling his eyes. "I was thirteen."

"Wow," Maxie said slowly, blinking. "That's so … _young_."

"She was twenty-two," he added, shaking his head. He sighed loudly. "And my father _paid_ her."

"Oh, no," Maxie moaned, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, yeah," he replied, smiling at her. "Here I thought I was pretty suave, right? I managed to seduce one of the maids—"

"The _maid_?" she interrupted, laughing now.

Johnny glared at her, but his eyes were bright with amusement. "Yes. But in my defense, she was hot."

"Well, I would hope so."

"Anyway," he said loudly, over her giggles, "here I am thinking I'm this great seducer, and my dad calls me into the dining room where he gathered my uncles, several of his business contacts in Europe, and my grandfather. He has this whole elaborate dinner laid out, and in the middle he stands up to make a toast."

Maxie closed her eyes, wincing. "Oh, no."

Johnny nodded slowly as if confirming her fears. "He announces to everyone that Little Johnny is now a man—even if he had to pay for it."

She clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh, my God. That's so…"

"Embarrassing?" he supplied, nudging her shoulder.

A slow smile spread across her face. "You think _this_ is my most embarrassing moment?"

Johnny kept smiling, but didn't answer.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Please. At least your first time wasn't webcast for the entire school to see."

His eyes rounded, amazed. "What?"

"I liked this guy, Kyle," she started, grimacing as she remembered. "He was _the_ most popular guy in high school. Captain of everything. Every girl wanted to date him. So, you can imagine how happy I was when he asked _me_ out."

"He'd be an idiot not to," Johnny added supportively.

Maxie beamed up at him. "Thank you. But it turns out the whole thing was a dare his friends came up with. They bet him he couldn't get me into bed. And to prove he did, he had to videotape the whole thing and upload it to the internet for everyone to see."

"Tell me you're joking." Johnny looked absolutely disgusted. "What's this kid's name? Kyle what?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "It's really OK, Johnny. We actually wound up dating for a while after it."

"You dated a guy who…" He trailed off, looking like he had sucked on a ripe lemon.

"Well, he _did_ apologize. There was a lot of groveling involved," she added for good measure with a quick grin.

He rolled his eyes, briefly wondering why anything she said or did surprised him anymore. Maxie was unlike any other woman he had ever met.

They both tensed as the deadbolts started unlocking. Johnny stayed seated, having learned his lesson the first day when he tried to charge their captors. He had managed to pin the younger one, but turned to see the other had Maxie with a gun pointed at her head.

The older of the two—Jeckle, as Maxie referred to him—dropped a bag inside the door, presumably with their lunch in it.

Johnny fixed the man with a level glare. "Maxie started her period."

Maxie cringed and watched as Jeckle balked, his eyes going wide and swinging down to her. He swallowed hard and nodded, backing away. "I'll get you … something." He shut the door, sliding the locks back into place.

"I could've said something," she told him, her tone clipped.

"But you weren't going to," he answered calmly. "You were too embarrassed."

She flushed and looked away. "You don't seem embarrassed at all."

He shrugged. "It's biology. Besides, Claudia used to send me out regularly to buy her tampons when I was a kid, and I _did_ live with you and Lulu."

"Thank you," she said after a moment, "for being so understanding."

He smiled warmly at her. "You're welcome."


	4. Chapter 4

**Another Heart Calls**

By: IsisIzabel

**Chapter 4**

"_I go wild_

_Wild because the chips are down_

_Wild because there isn't anybody else around_

_Wild when the waves start to break,_

_And God knows they're breaking in me now"_

~ "Wild" by Poe

Maxie sighed softly and kicked the last of the sheet off her feet, moving her legs and finding that there was no cool place left on the bed sheet to lay. The summer night was sweltering, the temperature having steadily climbed the last few days. Humidity had settled in like a thick, damp blanket that was driving her crazy.

They were into their third week of isolation together, and both of them were edgy. The bond they had formed the first few days, weeks, of being trapped together was fraying the ends. They snapped, they bickered, and silence seemed more and more commonplace.

Maxie was ready to scream. By now someone had to have noticed they were both gone, so where was the Calvary?

Another sigh and she flopped on her left side, facing the wall, and trying to ignore Johnny's deep breathing beside her and the heat radiating off his body. She glanced over her shoulder, mildly annoyed and envious that he could sleep without a shirt on. She tugged the hem of her t-shirt up higher, trying to let some cooler air hit her skin.

The air was still wet and heavy. After several beats she sat up, contemplating taking a cold shower. Again.

"Would you stay still?" Johnny mumbled, his eyes still closed.

She glanced down at him. "I'm hot." She rolled up the oversized sleeves of her shirt to expose her shoulders. Maybe she would just take her shirt off. She doubted Johnny would mind.

His eyes opened, annoyance gleaming in them. "And I'm not? If you would settled down—"

Maxie rolled her eyes. "I have tried _everything_. It's too damn hot in this room!"

He pushed himself up on one elbow, the muscles in his chest bunching, rippling. "And you bitching about it isn't going to make the air conditioning magically come on!"

"Why don't you leave me alone and go back to sleep?" she hissed, glaring at him.

"Believe me, Princess, I'd love to," he retorted grimly, "but _someone_ keeps waking me up every five goddamn minutes."

Her jaw clenched and she looked away, feeling dangerously close to tears. _Again._

Johnny sighed beside her, sitting up fully. "Maxie, you need to find a way to take your mind off of it. Think of something else."

She sniffed and looked back, exhaustion etched into her face. "Like what?"

He smirked, his lips curving up slowly. "Those new shoes I owe you? The first store you'll go shopping in when we get out of here?"

The suggestions made her smile slightly, but it was tinged with sadness. "Is that really all you see?"

He went blank for a second, confused. "Is that…"

"Do you really just see me as some superficial shopaholic with nothing better to do than max out her credit cards and read _Couture_?"

He tilted his head to one side, his expression teasing. "Maxie, you openly _admit_ you're a shopaholic and that _Couture_ is your Bible."

She dropped her chin to her chest and breathed out slowly. "I know. But is that how you really think of me?"

He brushed his fingers against her shoulder over the thin material of her shirt. "Hey."

She looked up at him, guarded and ready for him to admit that's how he really felt. "It's OK," she said quietly, looking at a spot over his shoulder. "It's how everyone sees me."

"No, Maxie," he said firmly. "It's not how I see you. And you really don't give yourself enough credit. Most people would have cracked under these circumstances, and you haven't. Really, you're great. And if I have to be stuck in a room with someone, I'm glad it's you."

She smiled then, relieved. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said, still smiling. He nudged her shoulder with his. "_Now_ can we go to sleep?"

Maxie laughed softly, shaking her head. "I still can't. It's too hot."

He sighed loudly, rolling his head back and staring up at the ceiling. "Try counting sheep or something. Get your mind off it. Distract yourself by thinking of something else."

"Counting sheep?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "Please, Johnny, I'm not five." She glanced up at the darkened window, wondering what hour it was. The moon was full, casting a silver hue over the room.

Maxie jumped when she felt his lips land on the back of her arm, near her shoulder. She twisted, glancing at him as he moved one hand to her hip, rotating her towards him.

"What are you doing?" she stammered.

He looked up, his eyes dark and amused. "Distracting you."

His lips found the base of her throat and she felt herself leaning back, exposing the pale column of flesh for him. She swallowed roughly, spearing her fingers through his hair and keeping his mouth against her skin. She lifted her leg up and moved towards him, over him, until she was straddling his lap.

"God, that feels good," she said in a breath as his lips mapped out the curve of her jaw, his fingers outlined the smooth line of her hip. His fingers teased the soft skin her found beneath her shirt, skimming easily over the flat planes of her stomach and tracing the drawstring band of her pants.

He smiled against the base of her throat, nipping at the skin lightly. He hands moved up her back, under her shirt, exploring the skin he found. He pressed harder, kneading the flesh and he felt a shudder move through her.

Maxie gasped, closing her eyes and bowing her head until it rested on his shoulder, her arms wound around his neck. "Johnny—"

He turned his head and swallowed her sentence with a kiss, slanting his mouth over her lips and demanding entrance. She gave it willingly, submitting to the kiss for a second before she kissed him back, just as fervent and with just as much heat. Her tongue dueled with his for dominance, each asserting themselves.

He moved them suddenly, flipping Maxie onto her back and settling easily between her legs until he was cradled between her thighs. His hands moved higher yet, brushing the underside of her breast.

She moaned softly, the breath catching in her throat as she arched into his touch, encouraging him as best as she could. She moved her hands over his shoulders, feeling the muscles flex and relax under her touch. She raked her nails lightly down his back, amused and pleased when she heard him groan. He pressed against her center, letting her feel his arousal through the thin material of their sweatpants.

He flicked a thumb over one nipple, breaking their kiss and grinning down shamelessly at her when she cried out at the sensation. He rolled the tight nub between his fingers, watching her face flush in the moonlight.

Maxie's nails dug into his shoulders, holding on to him as she lifted her hips, rocking against him.

His eyes slid shut and he froze for a second, trying desperately not to lose it like an overeager teenage boy on prom night. "Dammit, Maxie," he muttered, shaking his head.

She smiled up at him, her gaze moving slowly from his face to the wall behind them and the bright red light that winked down at her.

She stiffened immediately; recoiling from his touch and tugging her shirt back down over her hips. "Johnny, stop."

His eyes snapped open, confused, and he did as she said, getting to his knees and letting her up. "What?"

She pointed behind him, her hand trembling. "The camera."

He twisted to see, his jaw dropping as he saw the tiny pinprick of light indicating the camera was on. "_Fuck_," he swore harshly, hanging his head. He finally looked back at her, apologetic. "I didn't think—"

"Forget it," she muttered quickly, hugging her arms around her middle.

He stood up suddenly, moving to the opposite side of the room, trying to calm his body down. "I should have remembered. I'm sorry, Maxie."

"It's OK." Her voice trembled along with the rest of her body. Despite the oppressive heat, she immediately missed the warmth of his body beside her. On top of her.

He nodded tersely, the silence stretching uncomfortably between them. He sighed suddenly, the noise startling and loud.

"I'm going to take a shower," he announced.

Maxie settled back against the pillows, watching as the light came on in the bathroom, illuminating his silhouette.

"I'm going to try and get some sleep," she told him, feeling the need to fill the void between them.

He nodded and shut the door, casting the room into darkness again. She heard the pipes groan as he turned on the shower.

Maxie slowly leaned back into the pillows, knowing that sleep would never come tonight. She curled on his side, pretending to sleep, though. She pretended not to notice when Johnny came out of the bathroom and gathered up his pillow and the extra blanket, taking extra care to be quiet. She acted like she didn't notice him creating a makeshift bed for himself on the opposite end of the room.

And she pretended it didn't bother her as he did it.


End file.
